When is Rape consensual?
by Shuichu-to-Shuichi
Summary: Naruto has a screwed up life. He's been abused by a twisted man for years. No one knew and no one cared. It was insufferable for him. He wanted to end it... until two new students arrive at his school. Sasunaru and Nejinaru
1. Alone?

Wahoo! Shuichi is here and I'm on a role! I'm redoing all the chapters of When Is Rape Consensual. Tell one, tell all. I'm making some parts more detailed… and some less. Don't worry. It'll be better… o_o… -_-… wait… that means more work for me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Warning: Yaoi, rape, and profanity

Story: When is rape consensual? Ch 1

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"Ow! You're hurting me!"

"Well, if you'd just stay still, I could do it right!"

"Don't pull it out so roughly!"

"Well, I have to take it out sooner or later, Naruto! Now hold still!"

"Ow!"

"Naruto, it's out now."

"But it hurt!"

"If you hadn't rubbed your hand on the railing, like I _told_ you not to, you never would have gotten the splinter in the first place!"

Naruto looked over at the splinter in Iruka's steel tweezers. The drying blood on his hand covered the miniscule puncture in his skin. Why did something that small hurt so much?

A small, metallic noise echoed in the room, and Naruto looked up to see Iruka's stretched hand reaching for the dropped tweezers. For a moment, he continued to stare at Iruka even as the man walked towards the sink.

In Naruto's eyes reflected the only friend he'd ever made...the only person who understood him. It might seem stupid, but Naruto felt Iruka was an angel sent by God. He had to be! There was no other way to explain the reason why he talked to Naruto like his equal.

Iruka even looked like something out of a fairy tale. His brown ponytail sat at the top of his head like a small crown. The hair blended with his caramel skin and eyes… What did he remind Naruto of? …an earth spirit! Iruka always had a way of creating peace and making people smile…and the way he was always wearing that green vest!

On top of that, Iruka was really beautiful… handsome… or whatever you call a guy. He had a lot of admirers. A few times when Naruto was visiting, Iruka would receive presents from them… some of which definitely weren't girls.

But even though Iruka was his best friend… sometimes…being around him could make Naruto feel so… lonely. The love and warmth that made up Iruka's world made Naruto think of his life and remember the pain, failure, and loneliness. He didn't have someone to greet him when he got home. There was no one to gently wake him for school… no one except for…

He shuddered.

"Iruka," Naruto began. "Do you think I'm a…" He caught himself at the last minute, hoping Iruka hadn't been paying attention.

"What?" 

"Nothing," Naruto lied. He didn't want to finish the question. He was too afraid of the answer.

Iruka tried to ask him to repeat the question, but Naruto was dodged it. "Uh… my teacher will get suspicious if I don't head back soon. Bye, sensei."

Naruto left, hoping Iruka would forget the conversation soon.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto's feet shuffled slowly across the hall. He was never eager to return to class. When he knocked on the door, he knew the teacher wasn't either.

Laughter erupted in the classroom…they knew it was him. The slow, leisure tap of a pair of shoes indicated that the teacher was taking his precious time walking to the door, enjoying every moment as time passed.

When the door finally opened, a thin, dark-haired man emerged from the classroom.

"Well, well, well… look what the _cat_ brought in today."

Naruto ignored the comment and brushed past the teacher toward his desk. The laughter died down to a soft snicker, but heads were still turned towards him. Naruto laid his head down and drifted into his thoughts as the rest of the class turned away from him, starting the lesson again, pretending he didn't exist anymore… just like always.

It hadn't always been as bad as this. Naruto could ignore it in the beginning. At least the laughs would die down when he came around the corner. Now, they mocked him openly, not caring whether he heard or not.

The teachers were different. Most of them didn't laugh. They recoiled from him… like he was a monster. One teacher hated him especially… the gym teacher.

Naruto'd missed the mile run his class had to do and the physical exams… and the week the guys had to do gymnastics…. But he still had a good grade because he was just a 'very sick kid.' The teacher thought Naruto was faking the sickness and accidents. Everyone did.

But no one understood. It wasn't his fault… it was that _bastard's_ fault. That man came and went as he pleased, and Naruto couldn't stop him. It'd be like standing in front of a train with cut brakes. Nothing stopped him… nothing he didn't already have a plan for anyway, and as much as Naruto hated to admit it…. he wasn't exactly strong, at least not against that guy_…_ and the things that would happen…

Naruto looked out the window when his eyes began to sting.

The memories swirled around in his mind as he tried to blink the tears away. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff and a million hands were trying to push him off.

He'd struggled for so long, but who was it helping? Certainly not him. Was this punishment? Was Naruto being punished for not being born normal… for not being good enough that his parents wouldn't abandon him…?

He laid his head down again, finally letting the tears fall into the nook of his arm, waiting… just waiting for the bell to let him leave.

'I guess monsters like me deserve this,' Naruto thought. 'It's not like anyone's trying to prove me wrong.'

'…**I can.'**

'Really?' Naruto thought sarcastically. 'Name one time when-'

He froze and glanced around the room, only to receive glares from a few wandering eyes.

'… Great. Now, I'm hallucinating. What's next? Will I start seeing an imaginary person name Bob who will understand all my problems?'

'**I'm not imaginary.'**

.

Naruto looked around again… but this time, he was sure no one had spoken to him.

'Great! I really am crazy! I'm imagining someone to talk to!' Naruto thought, already feeling a hysterical laugh rise in his throat. He opened his mouth to let it tumble out but the echoing words stopped him.

'**I'm **_**not**_** in your imagination, Kit.'**

Naruto shook his head softly, wondering how much sleep he'd gotten in the past few days because now, he was _arguing_ with himself! And the other side was winning!

'**I'M REAL!' **the voice screamed, making Naruto jolt up in his seat. He bit his tongue to keep from screaming, regretting it when he felt the familiar taste of blood in his mouth. He held his hands to his head, hoping the room would stop spinning any second. Imaginary or not, whatever was talking to him was _really_ loud.

The gravelly voice took advantage of the quiet to speak again.

'**Look, it may not seem possible, but I live in your mind. I'm just not… part of your mind. My name is Kyuubi. Kyuu for short.'**

Naruto felt his head spinning. But one clear question came to mind.

'Are you _living_ in me? Like a… like a parasite?'

'**No! Well, I had a real body once, but now… I'm just ****a soul****. But I don't eat you or anything…. You'd be dead by now with how long I've been here. You've never been able to hear me until now… weirdo.'**

'Yeah…. I seem to be one of those…'

The bell finally rang signaling the end of the day. Naruto slung his backpack over his shoulder before getting up to leave, still wrapped in his discovery of Kyuubi.

'**Hey Kit, how come everyone hates you so much? They have some pretty disturbing auras and look at you kind of… funny. As long as I've know you, the worst thing **_**you've **_**ever done was run into a pole on your way home, and that didn't hurt anyone but you… And me… a little.'**

'When did I run into a pole?'

'The other day… you were thinking about something and you walked right into a pole on the way home.'

'Oh! I remember that… wait… you saw that?'

'Yeah, you can do some pretty stupid things every now and then, Kit.'

'What does that mean? You keep saying Kit. What's that mean?'

'**Oh, that? Kit is short for kitsune… you know… a fox? Since my name means demon fox, I figured you're like a… little fox.**'

'Ok… another thing. Do you see _everything_ that I do? What if I'm taking a shower?'

'**Nah. I usually go to sleep around when you get home and wake up… whenever. It's usually late into the morning. Besides, I've seen it all before.'**

Naruto blushed and looked up for the first time since walking out of the classroom. Someone was standing in from of him.

Naruto walked around him, but neither Kyuubi nor he said anything as Naruto walked out of the school; the first to speak was actually Naruto's stomach.

"Man… I'm hungry," he murmured.

It'd been about a day since he'd last eaten. He'd just been fired from his latest job because of "repeated absences." Naruto was glad he had enough saved up to pay the rent otherwise he'd be in deep trouble.

Stretching out his arms to yawn, he felt something land on his face. Reaching up, his hand returned with a twenty dollar bill.

'Sweet! Money for ramen!'

'**That ramen crap you eat isn't good for you. It's high in sodium and has no vegetables or types of protein. That isn't healthy.'**

'Hey, I put an egg on it… and sometimes a pork cutlet. That's good!'

'**Not what I meant.'**

'Take it or leave it.'

'**Whatever. Just don't complain when you stop growing from lack of nutrients!' **

Naruto cheered.

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"All right. It's time to do homework!" Naruto yelled, slinging his back onto his bare desk. He was full of food and lively for the first time in days.

'**Why are you excited to do homework?'**

"I have no clue; I'm just happy! I think they might have spiked the ramen!"

"Who _are_ you talking to, little Naruto?"

Naruto twisted around to see a man dressed in black stepping out of his hiding place among the shadows. The blond choked with fear and took uneasy steps backwards.

"W-why are you here so soon? You never come back this f-fast."

"I just couldn't keep away from you," the man answered seductively.

Naruto turned to run, but the man was quicker. He pulled Naruto back into the room, closing the door.

"Let go of me!" Naruto screamed, trying to use his free hand to push away the man.

Sharp nails dug into the side of Naruto's stomach, and he felt his hands trapped above his neck. Warm saliva trailed behind the tongue slithering down his neck. He gasped and made an effort to break free again but only felt the nails dig deeper into his side. His shirt ripped easily under the claws of the man, and a moan threatened to arise from Naruto's throat as the man gently dragged his fingers across his lower abdomen.

Naruto felt like throwing up and crying out at the same time. He tried to fight back instead. The man tightened his grip.

"Stop pretending, Naruto. I know you actually want it," he said while glancing down at Naruto's jeans. "Besides," he whispered, "even if you didn't, no one will help you… They _hate_ you."

Naruto felt the tears sting his eyes. He hated when the man brought that up. He hated it more than his nails digging into his stomach…. More than the countless times he'd been thrown across the room trying to escape. It wasn't fair.

"Why can't you leave me alone?"

Naruto felt the warm tongue slither farther down his body. A sudden wave of heat blocked his mind. He mentally cursed himself for feeling any sick form of pleasure from this assault.

"See, what did I tell you? You _are_ enjoying this!"

Naruto looked away as the man unzipped his pants. He wanted to rip off this man's head.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" he screamed.

Naruto shoved all of his weight against the man. Unprepared, the figure released him accidentally and nearly fell backwards.

"Excuse me? I believe that was very rude. You should apologize, Naruto, before I get… angry."

Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew that look. He knew that tone.

The tears rolled down his cheeks before he could stop them.

"Please! I… why can't you just leave me alone? I don't know what you want… I don't care! Just… just leave me alone! Please!"

His breath became ragged. The man was less than a foot away. Naruto had nowhere to run.

"Such a foolish desire. You know I won't, so why are you asking?"

The man caressed his cheek. Naruto felt the tug on his jeans and the roughness as they fell to the ground. He whimpered as he was hoisted onto his bed.

"Don't cry, my little Naruto. Now that you're warmed up, we can begin the real show."

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Wow. Does it sound better than the last one? I hope so! I had to take out my sexy little laugh at the end for those who read the first version of the story. Sorry.

-Shuichi-


	2. Stalk Me

Two chapters down, five to go…. *sob*

Warning: profanity… YAOI… rape… and um… rape? Wait, I already said that one. Ladies and gents and everyone in between, this chapter is for MATURE audiences only. Yes. That _does_ mean I'm not allowed to read it.

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"Don't cry, my little Naruto. Now that you're warmed up, we can begin the real show."

"No! Let me go!" Naruto screamed. "Get your hands off of me, Itachi!"

Naruto pounded his fists on Itachi's back and continued to scream. The tears streamed down his face. He tried to dig his bitten nails into the man's back, but he couldn't through the clothes.

Itachi laughed and flicked Naruto's nipple. The boy tried to trap the moan in his throat, but Itachi had sharp ears. He flicked it again, making Naruto shudder under his touch.

"P-please… stop," Naruto gasped. He knew he shouldn't react so weakly. It would only make things worse… but he couldn't stop his body from responding, no matter how many times he screamed 'no'.

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Naruto moaned again under my weight. He couldn't resist me. No one can.

I reached out and grabbed Naruto by his hair, pulling him in close. His eyes widened when I kissed him. I felt his nails trying to dig into my skin and realized my clothes were still on.

Occupying only a small part of our time together, I threw my clothes onto the desk on the other side of the room. When I turned back around, Naruto was curled at the head of the bed, crying softly.

I smiled. He looked so cute that way. I wanted to devour him right there.

"What are you doing, love?"

I saw him visibly cringe at the name. I felt like laughing. It was almost perfect… just a little more, and he'd be mine.

"..hy?"

I looked up when he spoke. He was awfully loquacious today.

"What?"

"_Why_?"

" 'Why' what, Naruto?"

He sat up. I moved to block the sight of the door. I didn't want him attempting to run away again… though it was fun when he tried.

"Me. _Why_ me? Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?"

I grinned. He glared at me and my smile widened.

I edged forward until my lips brushed his trembling ear.

"You've had no idea for so long. Do you want to know who's really to blame?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Itachi licked Naruto's ear and the boy shuddered again. He let his hands wander further down the boy's body while he waited for an answer.

Naruto immediately grabbed the traveling hands, but he had no strength to pull them away. He closed his eyes as more tears began to fall. He knew what was coming.

"Naruto? I'm waiting for an answer."

Naruto tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. His voice cracked when he spoke, but his eyes captured the resentment he suddenly felt.

"I've been asking you 'why' all this time. _I'm_ the one waiting for answers," he said defiantly.

Itachi chuckled. "Well, it seems you're getting a little too brash for your own good... So, let me fix that for you."

Naruto felt the pain slice into his skin before the nails did. He looked down at his neck. Four cuts spurted drops of crimson. Itachi had scratched deep.

The boy touched the wound gingerly but could do nothing to stop the blood.

He wanted to be quiet… to stop the pain, but the unexplained questions had piled up for too long. He wanted… _needed_ answers or he would go insane.

"You call that discipline? I'm still waiting for an answer, Itachi."

Naruto concentrated on the pain in his chest instead of looking straight at Itachi. If he looked into those cold eyes, he would lose the strength to speak.

"You're very eager today. I guess I should have expected this… from such a pathetic creature."

Itachi whipped Naruto's head back and pushed him face forward into the wall adjacent to the bed.

"S-shut up."

"Not so quick with your tongue now, huh? Did I strike a nerve? Are you going to cry again?"

Naruto tried to elbow Itachi, but it was futile. He was trapped against the wall.

"It's too bad. I really wanted to see your face when you found out about the Kyuubi."

Naruto gasped. How did Itachi know about Kyuu? Naruto had _just _found out he existed. There was no way Itachi knew already.

Suddenly, Naruto's surroundings disappeared. In a pit of darkness, a light shined on him from somewhere above, but he couldn't find it. Naruto was no longer pressed against his bedroom wall. Where was he?

'…**ou hear me, Naruto?'**

Naruto recognized the gruff voice from this afternoon.

'Kyuu! Help!'

'**I wish I could. I'm not strong enough yet. My powers are just now starting to redevelop, but that's not important. I need to tell you something...'**

Naruto didn't answer, but Kyuu continued.

'**It's about this guy, Itachi… what he's about to tell-' **

'How do you know _him_?'

'**Look, it's not important right now! He's trying to tell you something **_**I **_**should be telling you. I don't want you hearing it from the wrong—'**

Naruto heard Kyuu's voice drifting farther away from him until his room came spinning back into sight. How did Kyuu do that? What was he trying to say?

"Somehow I get the feeling you didn't hear me,"

Naruto saw the red eyes glaring at him from the corner of his own. He felt the anger radiating within them.

"It's almost like something is keeping you from hearing me… like a certain some_thing_ I'm trying to tell you about."

Naruto waited for the man to explain. When Itachi didn't, he asked, "How do you know about Kyuubi?"

"Oh, it's not just me. Anyone old enough to remember the war sixteen years ago knows. All of the people in this town know about that beast because that _thing_ is responsible for-…"

'**DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!' **

The words exploded through Naruto's mind like fireworks, causing him to wince. Kyuu's deafening screams and the cuts on his chest were weaving a severe aching in the midst of his mind. He wanted to sleep away the pain.

"W-what is he trying to tell me?"

"**It's something I should have told you in the begin-"**

Kyuu was again cut off by Itachi as the man slammed Naruto's head into the wall.

"That should keep _it_ quiet."

Ignoring the pain and the fireworks he could see in the air, Naruto attempted to sit up. "Why does everyone hate me?" he managed, searching for Itachi blazing red eyes in his daze.

Itachi caught Naruto's chin in his head and pulled him up close, breathing in the blond boy's scent.

"What if I don't want to tell you?" he whispered.

Naruto stared incredulously into his eyes.

"What?"

"What if I don't _feel_ like telling you?"

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Itachi serious? Why the hell was he playing games—?

And then it dawned on Naruto. Itachi wanted something out of this.

"P-please… I just want to know," he whispered, shaking his head gingerly against the pain.

"Come here and I'll tell you."

Naruto shivered involuntarily as he slowly edged into Itachi's extended arms. He felt nauseous as the arms tightened around him and pulled him close.

Itachi cleared his throat, shocked at Naruto's willingness. He kissed Naruto's neck and held the boy closely before speaking.

"Sixteen years ago, when you were first born, there was a monster loose in the town. It killed nearly everyone. The only one powerful enough to stop it… was your father. It took _everything_ he had to stop the Nine Tailed Fox, including his life. That fox is the same as the "Kyuubi" that resides within you…"

Itachi felt the smallest twinge of sadness. He couldn't help but remember that day… so much blood… so much screaming… so much _death_…

Itachi blocked the memory from his mind and drowned himself in Naruto's scent.

'Mhmm. He smells delicious.' He thought greedily. Just a little more and he'll be mine…

"W-what are you saying…? Kyuu killed my parents? But that's impossible… he… Kyuu? Is it true? Did you…?"

'… **I'm sorry, Naru-.' **

Naruto felt the tears well up in his eyes as he blocked out the rest of Kyuu's words. He opened his mouth, voicing the confusion and pain that had begun building in him from the day he first met Itachi in a gurgled scream; the throbbing from his headache and wounds melded with the mental pain he felt.

Itachi let him fall to the bed and curl into a ball.

"Shhhhh! It's not your fault... I'll make it _all_ go away for you," Itachi whispered as he stroked Naruto's face. Naruto shook feverishly under the touch but he made no effort to move away.

Itachi smirked. It was working. Naruto was so oblivious to the hand roaming up his inner thigh.

"I… killed my parents. All this time… I've been the problem because I… oh God…" Naruto whispered.

He felt like the millions of hands behind him had finally pushed him over the edge… and he was falling fast… falling into something he never wanted to touch.

"_Watch where you're going, you little faggot."_

"_Look at that loser. Why doesn't he just shrivel up and die?"_

"_Stay away from him, baby. He's a _mons-_."_

"…_Ster. So pathetic."_

They were true. They were _all_ true! All this time! Why hadn't he seen it? Why hadn't he realized? It was all his fault…

Itachi waved a hand in front of the unresponsive body.

'Perfect,' he thought. 'Like a porcelain doll.'

Itachi pulled Naruto's legs over his shoulders and pushed into the despondent boy. His eyes glistened as Naruto choked on his rising scream. The boy didn't even have the willpower to cry anymore. Delicious.

Itachi felt the sweat trickle down his muscled arms as he continued to thrust into the poor boy. He watched Naruto's back arched in a twisted blend of pleasure and agony as the boy stifled weak moans. He groaned softly as he felt the familiar pressure building in his stomach. His eyes rolled lazily back into his head, and he released into the trembling body.

Itachi then bent down and licked the sticky fluid on Naruto's stomach. Even if the boy didn't respond… his body did.

"I'm looking forward to our next meeting," Itachi whispered into the boy's ear, kissing him gently on the lips. He grinned triumphantly when a whispered gasp fluttered against his lips from Naruto.

Itachi leisurely walked across the room to pick up his clothes and dress. Naruto still hadn't move when he leaned against the doorway to give him one last look.

"I almost like you better this way," he said, chuckling, "but your screams are music to my ear."

With that, Itachi stepped out of the room. He took the emergency steps, careful not to be spotted by any wandering glances.

Once out of the building, Itachi Uchiha vanished into the breezy night air as quickly and suddenly as he had appeared.

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Wahoo! Two down!

Oh, I remembered what I was going to say…. Not really, but I'll tell you something else.

I've been writing my stories at twelve to three a.m. and it's really funny how focused I get on them. I looked at the clock a few minutes ago and it was eleven at night. I looked it later and it was four thirty a.m. I seriously thought I was insane BUT unfortunately, I'm not.

…just stupid.

It turns out there was like a power surge or something and the lights all went out. But I was typing so 'intently' that I didn't notice. When I looked at the clock, it was just showing a random time.

So… yeah. That's all.

Do you like the update?


	3. Accident?

Three down… four to go… *more tears*

Warning… lots of angst… and probably profanity… who knows?

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Naruto lay on his bed for what seemed like days. His chest was numb, but he could tell the wounds had reopened when he moved. Blood trickled down his stomach, and the sheets stuck to him as it dried.

Naruto tried to string the jumbled fragments in his head into clear thoughts.

'_I've got a murderer living _inside_ of me. The nine tailed fox. He killed my fath…' _

As if trying to deny the truth of the thought, Naruto's thoughts scrambled again and he wondered, _'Isn't today still a school day? Should I even go? Iruka will be worried if I don't.'_

He looked over at the clock on his bedside table. It was 9:00 a.m. He was late for school. Did it matter? He wanted to disappear into a world of his own.

What was so different? … Countless times he'd waken up hurting and confused, but even then he always went to school the next day. He was more scared of what would happen if he _didn't _go.

Itachi might decide to come back.

But today…. Today was different. Naruto had been fooled by the snake. The apple from the tree wasn't even worth it.

Despite the nausea, Naruto rose from his bed. He needed to take a shower.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto whispered.

He was lying in the tub, the shower beating down on his pale body. He watched as his blood flowed into the drain…. His chest wasn't the only wound bleeding though.

Neat cuts across both wrists shined through the water. He held a razor lazily in his right hand. The pain was dull… just like the wound on his chest.

"You said you've been living in my body for a long time… I've had a murderer living in me… a lying, deceitful murderer who killed my f-father," he whispered again, angrier this time.

Kyuu finally spoke after what seemed like painful hours.

'**Let me explain. It's not what it seems like… I didn't…'**

"Explain what?" Natuto interrupted. "Do you want to explain how you _killed_ each person? Or do you want to go into specific details about my father?"

'**You know I'd never do something like that! I was stupid back then! If I'd known….I would have never… **_**ever **_**done that!'**

"So what then, Kyuu? Would you kill them differently? Slit their throats so no one hears the screams this time?"

'**You have every right to feel that way. But please… hear me out! I never meant to do it! It was an accident!'**

"Oh, yeah! Because everyone out there _accidentally_ murders a bunch of people."

'**Let me explain! Please. **_**Please**_**!' **

Naruto didn't speak. No matter how much he hated Kyuu, he couldn't ignore that voice. It reminded too much of…

_The little boy stumbled through the street… all alone and crying… but no one was listening. They didn't want to listen… they didn't care. They just walked on by, pretending they couldn't see or hear the little beast in their streets… all he wanted was for someone to listen… to tell him he was alive… that he mattered. His blond hair covered his eyes for a moment and he tripped, crying louder. Why wouldn't anyone just look at him?_

Kyuu took the silence as a chance to speak again.

'**I swear I didn't mean to lie to you. I never meant to hurt you. I just… I didn't want you to do **_**this**_**, Naruto. ' **

Naruto looked down at his wrists. He felt a small, hysterical laugh bubble in his throat. This whole thing was so damn funny! Itachi… Kyuu… him… it was all so _fucking_ cliché... why didn't he have his own fucking sitcom? The laughter gurgled up his throat, but only a strange choking sound erupted from his mouth.

'**Naruto?'**

The blond boy giggled on the floor of his bathtub. Pain sprinted up his arms, and his chest seemed to close in on him. He felt colder by the minute. Like he had slipped under a frozen lake and was quickly freezing to death.

Abruptly, the scenes around Naruto began to change. He was no longer lying naked in his bathroom.

Naruto stopped laughing.

Clothes he didn't even own suddenly covered his body. Ripped jeans and a sleeveless black shirt hugged his skin. Naruto was sitting upon a black king-sized bed. The pillows were soft silk against his hand.

Naruto stared at his hand. There was no blood…. No. He looked under his shirt… nothing but his own skin.

"W-what?"

Naruto looked around. The room was just as sumptuous as the bed he was seated on. Decorated with paintings and furniture, the room was breathtaking. Even the ceiling was beautiful, two angels covering its smooth surface, floating among big fluffy clouds.

He spotted a gleaming black statue of a fox, nine tails protruding from it instead of the normal one. He felt drawn to it immediately, stricken be a desire to touch the smooth surface.

"I think I know that color,' he murmured. The art teacher called it… upsetian… something like that."

"**It's called obsidian."**

Naruto didn't hear the usually echo in his head. He looked over to the doorway, gaping at the figure standing before him.

Naruto had suspected Kyuu was a guy even though he'd never actually seen the demon so, he'd expected a man with fierce, blazing eyes staring him down… tattoos… ripped clothes… maybe even a piercing somewhere. Naruto had imagined everything he thought would match the gravelly voice he spoke with…

… The woman leaning against the wall wasn't in that image.

Wearing a knee-high black dress, the woman watched Naruto curiously. Two thin straps supported her beautiful, tight fitted dress. The woman seemed sad… her thin lips curving into a sulk. Her hair, long and black, was pulled back into a tight and prim bun, exaggerating the frown she wore. Even her bright red eyes longed for tears to spring from them.

Three chains hung from her neck, but Naruto couldn't spot any piercings.

This explained why Kyuu always called him 'Kit' like a doting mother…. And why the room was so neat and well kept, not at all like any boy that Naruto had seen… not that he knew what many did with their time.

It also explained the whole mind reading thing.

If Naruto had learned one thing in his life, if was that women could read you like a book… even the mean ones. No… _especially_ the mean ones.

"**N****aruto…"**

Kyuu's desperate voice broke through his thoughts. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked so sad. Naruto wanted to hug her.

"…_there was a monster loose in the town. It killed nearly everyone."_

Naruto winced. He couldn't help but remember what Itachi had said.

"**Naruto, look at me."**

Naruto played with the tiny rip in the plush black comforter he was sitting on.

"**Naruto!"**

Naruto reacted hesitantly to the sound of approaching steps, crawling backwards on the bed. He didn't want her so close.

"**Will you just listen to me?"**

Naruto looked up slowly, studying Kyuu as she spoke.

'**That day…I was in the forest. I'm a demon fox, and in **_**your**_** world— the real world, I have a frightening appearance; so naturally, the people in this town keep a distance from me. They used to make up scary stories about me to keep the people from wandering in the woods. I'd gotten used to it after a while... being alone. I mean, what more could they do, right? Well…I-I was wrong." **

Despite his insecurity, Naruto's curiosity got the best of him.

"What happened?"

'**That day, there was a little boy… he was looking for his dog. I was sleeping… and he was just looking for that… stupid…dog…"**

Naruto watched Kyuu. She'd always sounded so confident and relaxed, but here, she was trembling. Her eyes were distant and panged with guilt

Naruto reached over to comfort her but quickly withdraw his arm. A scream for help resounded in his mind… this _thing_ had killed his father. _Thing_? Did he even have a right to talk?

Kyuu wiped a tear away before it could fall. She spoke again, her voice cracking in Naruto's silence.

"**The boy had been with- he'd been with a bunch of little kids in the beginning. I sensed them when I was asleep. That's how I woke up. They were helping him but left after a while. So, the boy looked for his dog alone. **

**I was being stupid… so stupid. I didn't hide like I usually do. I just sat there… listening as the boy moved through the trees. I don't know what I was thinking. I just sat there like an idiot."**

Naruto felt his stomach clench. He didn't want to hear what happened next.

"**One minute, he's staring at me with these…. Big, brown eyes… and the next, he's tripping and falling over roots, screaming at the top of his lungs. And I just watched him. He was crying. I—I just laughed at him. I was so tired of people judging me.**

**He ran, and I started to let him— I would have let him, but... he was going in the wrong direction. There was a cliff there! I knew he wouldn't be able to survive the fall, so I chased after him. I kept yelling for him to stop… but he just screamed and said I was trying to steal his soul… and then he-"**

Kyuu stopped again. She licked her lips but it didn't seem to help. Naruto was still looking at her, unsure of what to think. Kyuu examined his eyes. She didn't know how he would react.

"What happened to him?" the Naruto asked. His eyes mirrored the pain in Kyuu's as she shuddered. He was beginning to understand there was more to this story than Itachi let on.

When Kyuu still didn't speak, he patted her gently on the shoulder, hesitantly, but without unnerving fear he'd first felt.

"Tell me. I know that whatever happened… caused my dad's death. I know that. I know that everyone believes you were the one responsible for it. I know that you killed a lot of people. I know all those things. And I also know…" he said pausing, checking the words with the gut feeling he had, "that you can't be the monster they all call you. Whatever happened back then… I can tell you're sorry. I can tell in the way you cry for them. But I _need_ you to tell me what happened that day. He… he was my _dad_."

Kyuu looked up and gasped. In all the time she'd spent with Naruto, she'd never heard him speak so surely, and smile so genuinely. His words gave her courage, and his smile gave her strength. Her voice filled the room once again.

"**The kid wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He kept his eyes on me. I kept telling him to stop… to look ahead of him, but he wouldn't turn around. I ran as fast as I could. If it wasn't for that trap I got caught in the day before, I would have caught him in no time."**

She looked off as she spoke.

"**I could see the trees parting up ahead… so I pushed myself even faster… but he kept running. I was so close that I heard him cry out as he fell off the cliff. I didn't even bother stopping. I just threw myself over.**

**It felt like we were falling in a time of our own. I-I reached for him. He was still crying, but he stretched out his arms and I felt his little hand for the smallest moment.**

Naruto shifted on the bed. Kyuu was crying as she spoke now.

"**The ground hit me hard. Something warm sprayed my fur. When I opened my eyes… I saw the boy, his body pierced by a rock. There was blood everywhere. I screamed, screamed until all I could do was cry." **

Uneasily, Naruto reached out to Kyuubi. She nudged away his hand.

"**What happened next involves your parents…"**

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Naruto sat up straight; his body was tense. This was it.

"**People arrived, weapons in hand. They saw the boy. My fur was covered in blood. They suspected the worse. Only trained fighters were there. They'd come prepared to fight me."**

The room was deafeningly quiet. The air was suffocating. Naruto didn't dare to breathe.

"**I growled at them. They weren't even concerned with the boy's body. Why did they only care about killing me? I never tried to hurt them. If they hadn't spread those rumors… the boy would have been alive. It was as much as their fault as mine. I was so angry… so angry and stupid.**

Kyuu looked at Naruto as she whispered, "**Your dad was there."**

"My dad…" he said unsteadily, feeling numb as the words rolled off his tongue.

"**I attacked first, throwing the closet person against a tree with my tail. He coughed up blood as he sunk to the forest, but I was past caring.**

**They immediately formed a circle around me… and I killed more than half the group before I saw your father.**

**He was different than the rest of them… he didn't approach me. I watched him even as I fought. **

**He used the rocks' sharp edges to elevate himself high enough to reach the boy. By the time he got the kid down, there was only me and him left. The others were sprawled around the ground, dead or dying. He didn't care that I was behind him, ripping a body apart.**

**I spoke to him.**

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

"_**What are you doing, human?"**_

_Silence._

"_**Why do you turn your back to me? I could kill you so easily."**_

"_Did you kill Yuuto?"_

_Kyuubi didn't know how to respond. She stared at the little boy in his arms, knowing that the man was referring to him._

"_**I- I didn't…" **__she stuttered, caught off guard by his composed demeanor. __**"He wouldn't stop… there was a cliff and he believed those stories they told him. I— yes. I think I did."**_

_She stared remorsefully at the ground. She hadn't meant to. It wasn't really her fault. Those stupid villagers…_

"_Yuuto… he was like a son to me. He had no home… nowhere to go. I remember when he first arrived in our village. People were so weary of strangers back then. So much had happened. They couldn't take any chances. But I couldn't bear it. I took him in. At first, I felt I _had_ to. But I grew to care for him as my own son… Tomorrow, he was supposed to go meet his new baby brother. My wife… my wife will be devastated."_

_Kyuubi tensed. The man's mouth curled into an unnerving smile._

"_I guess you'll have to meet him instead."_

_Kyuu was frozen to the ground, her eyes on the mysterious man. His blue eyes sparked a fear in her she'd never felt before as he knelt to the ground. She couldn't run. What was he planning to do? _

_I guess that's why they say curiosity killed the cat._

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This. Took. So. Long. To. Redo. Argh.


	4. Second Chance or Hell?

Four redone and I'm still crying.

Disclaimer: I didn't write the song used in this chapter

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"**Hell seems like a beautiful place after what happened." **

The room echoed with her words. Naruto sat silently; he wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_The man gasped for air, but said nothing. The air around him was quiet. Silence spread… every breath was harder than the first._

_The whole world seemed to be waiting in anticipation._

"_My name… my name is Minato Namikaze. I am formally known as Yondaime… the fourth Hokage. My wife, Kushina, is in the hospital. She's having… a baby," the man said. His voice was quiet but strong. Kyuu watched his chest heave. She knew she was breathing hard, too._

"… _our precious baby. I'll never get to see him now." _

_Kyuu looked up. She recognized this feeling. It wasn't silence. It was _him.

_The man was so powerful that his chakra was seeping out of the pores in his body. What was he doing? What was he talking about? _

_Kyuu suddenly screeched. An electrifying current rose through her body. Her own fur burned her chest, and she could smell the sickening scent of burning flesh. She couldn't breathe anymore, and her eyes were murky. The only thing keeping her alert was the pain slicing through her body._

'_**Am I… dying?'**__ she thought._

_As she considered the thought, an unexpected breathe swelled into her lungs. She could see again… _

_The man was still kneeling across from her, speaking in that mysteriously calm voice. When he stopped, Kyuubi looked up, ready to attack._

_Minato's blue eyes literally felt like they hit her. She could feel their grip on her. She couldn't move. The eyes were searching for something… something inside her. And when they found it, they mercilessly ripped it out._

_Her body drop to the ground, no longer able to support the weight without a soul._

'_**Where am I?'**_

_Images and people Kyuubi had never seen before exploded before her eyes. _

_A man waved at her and asked how she was doing. She felt herself answer in a deep and resounding voice. That wasn't her voice._

_A beautiful red-haired woman smiled up at her. She was dressed in a beautiful white gown. Kyuu looked down at herself. She was wearing a suit. She felt herself leaning closer to the woman as a man's voice recited "You may now kiss the bride."_

_What was going on?_

_The woman disappeared and another image swirled into view. The boy from before… Yuuto… was here. He smiled up at Kyuu. _

"_I love you, father." _

_Kyuu gasped and felt herself hug the boy. Tears sprung in her eyes and she responded, "I love you, too, son." _

_This wasn't her. None of this had ever happened. Where was she? _

_Kyuu felt the scene change again. The woman from before was there. She was on a hospital bed, smiling through tears. There were people in surgeon outfits standing around. One sat in a chair, exhausted. His hands were bloody._

_A baby was crying. The woman was holding him. She patted his blond hair. His eyes sparkled blue._

'_**Oh,' she thought with realization, 'this must be his wife.'**_

_Bubbling with joy, the woman didn't seem to notice the smell. It permeated the air like rancid trash; No one seemed to notice it._

_Kyuu sniffed the air again. She knew this smell… so well her fur reeked of it… what was it? It was bad, but where was it coming from? Why couldn't she remember? It must have to do with that man._

_Somewhere far away, Minato's voice fractured Kyuu's thoughts._

"_I'm showing you the life I had. You will repay the life taken. My son… he's probably been born by now … take care of him. Guide him when life is too overwhelming. And most of all… protect him. I must be foolish to do this… but it is the only way I know to stop this once and for all. Prove to the world… to me… and to Yuuto that you are not what we think. You say you aren't a monster… you say it wasn't your fault Yuuto died… so show me. Show _us_! Prove to the world that we are wrong!" _

_The speech was unexpected. The sudden warmth in his voice… it was like he was talking to a long, lost friend. Kyuu had been right when she'd said this man was different. Instead of trying to kill her, he was giving her a second chance…. _

_Again the stench drifted into Kyuubi's mind. Words returned to her. She knew what the smell was._

"_**Hey, you! Minato. You're making a mistake. Something's wrong with your wife! You shouldn't be here. She's-"**_

_Again, Kyuu's sentence was interrupted. But this time, it wasn't Minato._

_Darkness. _

_Everything, including Minato's limp form, was fading. The darkness enveloped Kyuu's body; she felt herself slipping into an abyss. She screamed out to the man. She had to tell him, even if it was too late! He was giving Kyuu a second chance, but at the cost of something he would _never_ knowingly pay._

_She screamed out again, but he didn't seem to hear her. In fact, as mere seconds passed, he wasn't even there. _

_Instead, the beautiful woman with tearstained eyes was above her, staring down at Kyuu… at the baby. She was gasping, as if out of breath… and she had that oh so familiar smell to her… _

'_**This can't be real.' **_

_Kyuu looked down. The fur that ordinarily covered her was replaced with chunky pale legs. Her claws were dull and her fingers were small and chubby._

_She was human… _

'_**That foolish man… that foolish, foolish man.'**_

_Kyuu looked up at the woman. A mess of red hair tumbled down her neck and glazed green eyes stared past her._

_She was smiling but her expression only held for the smallest of seconds, a blank gaze replacing it._

_Kyuu understand what had happened. _

_The man had transported her soul into his child. Technically, she was dead. The village no longer had a monster, and she no longer had to suffer. _

_But still at too great a cost…_

_This beautiful baby was born into death. In less than a few minutes, _both_ of his parents were dead._

_A weight pushed against Kyuu's… the baby's chest. A crystal necklace slept silently on his small neck, the woman's pale fingers still wrapped around it._

_Tears began to fall down her cheeks… no, the baby's cheeks. _

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"**Heaven collected two angels that day."**

Kyuu took a deep breath. She was done…. She'd told her dirty little secret. What would Naruto think?

Thoughts drifted through her head… things she didn't want to see, ideas she didn't want to know.

He would hate her. He would want to kill her. She knew. In the pit of her heart, she knew.

Naruto would hate her until the day he died. She would have nothing left. That lonely feeling would wrap around her with its cold, lifeless hands and choke her until not even tiny wisps of breath could escape her lips.

Kyuu blinked. Two arms were wrapped around her shivering body. They encased her in warmth…

Blankly, she stared at Naruto. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He was suppose to get mad… yell… scream… throw a fit… but he wasn't angry… he seemed happy. Did she miss something?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto looked up at Kyuu while burying himself further into the hug. He wanted to hug her as close to his heart as possible. Then, she would know at least a small fraction of what he wanted to tell her.

"**I- I don't understand… why would you hug me now that you know the truth? Why would you-"**

Now it was Naruto's turn to look stupefied. Kyuu had been holding a very horrifying secret for sixteen years! She'd endured so much for him. The reason why she'd never told him before was because… she didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to be alone.

Naruto knew that pain… being alone. Before Kyuu had come along, Naruto had always been alone. Swirling in self-hatred and misery… it suffocated him at times… it was deadly, loneliness that is… it could kill you all too quickly if you let your guard down…

Kyuu had been trying to protect from that. Naruto had always been called a monster… but that wasn't true. Neither of them were monsters. The monsters were the ones beat him up just because he was different… because they didn't understand him.

Her tears rolled down her cheeks and plopped onto Naruto's soft face. He glanced up at the sudden intrusion of water. Shocked, Naruto asked, "What's wrong?"

Naruto's voice sounded so much like a little child's. It made Kyuu want to laugh and cry at the same time. She'd grown accustomed to this human body… but never had she experienced such emotions since she'd left her animal form those sixteen years ago.

She could die of happiness right now. It was so intoxicating…

'**If Minato and Kushina could see the beautiful boy they brought into the world...'**

Kyuu looked at Naruto's still questioning face. He was truly like his father. He had the same spiky blonde hair… same cerulean eyes… the same kindness and forgiving nature…

"Nothing, I'm just… I'm just _happy_!"

Kyuu did something amazing… She reached down and hugged Naruto's tiny frame, just as he had hugged her. Then, she began to sing. She wasn't exactly sure where she'd heard the song before…but it seemed to be perfect for this situation.

"**Little child, be not afraid  
though rain pounds harshly against the glass…  
like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger…  
I am here tonight…"**

She kept singing as she patted Naruto's head. Even though he was sixteen, he still let her hold him like a little child. Kyuu knew he had been without any type of parental love growing up… so now, he clung to them like strings of hope.

She felt him relax in her arms… and slowly, he began to sleep. For once, it seemed as if he was truly happy. Maybe Minato was right after all.

"**Everything's fine in the morning…**

**The rain will be gone in the morning…**

**And you'll still be here in the morning."**

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I'm officially annoyed with myself. The lyrics were wrong this whole time. Well…. In case you want to know, the song is call "Lullaby for a Stormy Night." It's by Vienna Teng.

P.s. As soon as I'm done redoing these chapters, I'll put chapter eight up. It's already typed and everything. =)


	5. For Better or Worse

So… tired. Man, this chapter was so bad before I redid it. It's probably _still_ bad, but… meh.

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Naruto moaned as the light peaked through his closed eyelids. He could feel the warmth of the sun lick at his pale skin.

Come to think of it, Naruto hadn't been outside except for school and the hospital occasionally.

Feeling the sun on his skin now felt like sweet ecstasy. It crept through the fresh clothes he was wearing. After he'd waken up in the shower yesterday, he'd put on new clothes and went to sleep. Kyuu had called him weird for it.

Kyuu.

They had talked for a while last night… well, she did. Naruto knew the truth now.

Naruto knew his parents had been nice people. Minato, his dad, had given Kyuu a second chance. And his mother, Kushina… he could almost see her bold, red hair and green eyes behind his eyelids.

Though he still wished they were alive and with him, he felt a lot better knowing his parents were such kind people… and loved him. Kyuu had to go through a lot to tell him all of that. He was so grateful.

_And_ she had saved Naruto.

He might have died if she hadn't…

He looked down at his wrists again. The cuts were tender, but they had stopped bleeding. Naruto planned to wrap them in something later, along with the wound on his chest.

He knew Kyuu was a truly nice person, no matter what other people said. She probably wouldn't even hurt a fly… just cuss it out until her lips ran dry…

Naruto chuckled at his own little joke. He could see Kyuu, in her little black dress, waving wildly, threatening to kick the bug's ass if it didn't fly somewhere else. Kyuu could have smashed the bug in a heartbeat, but she'd rather have another reason to cuss at something.

"I could so see her _doing_ that!"

'**I'm still here you know.' **

Naruto nearly jumped through the roof when Kyuu's rough voice vibrated through his mind. He'd forgotten that she could hear his thoughts.

"O-oh, did you hear that? Um… I was talking about…" Naruto thought of any possibilities that could change the meaning of his words. "Okay, I got nothing…"

'**You might want to keep it a reminder that when you talk out loud like that, other people can hear you.'**

Her voice rumbled deeply with laughter.

'**And for your information, I would not be threatening it! I would make you come in here and squash it. ****Then****, I'd cuss at **_**you**_** for getting bug juice on my furniture.'**

Naruto laughed. As he rose from the bed, his laughter rang through the thin apartment walls. He knew she was trying to help cheer him up. He tried not to stare at the covers he'd tossed on the floor before going to sleep.

He made a mental note to burn them later.

The clock beeped next to Naruto, telling him snooze time was over. It was already 7:30. School was the last place he wanted to go right now, but he couldn't miss anymore days. Besides, it was a Friday. What could go wrong?

He groaned, "I'm going to have to run to school today."

Naruto waited for one of Kyuu's cynical comments, but nothing came.

Steady breathing could be heard in the place of her usual scratchy tone. She had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion. She'd stayed up the whole time Naruto had been asleep watching over him. But even before Itachi had visited, Kyuu had done that. She stayed awake during the night and slept during the day.

"Itachi…" Naruto murmured before taking a deep breath.

He knew the infinite fears and questions would suffocate him if he didn't take it slowly.

He walked over to his closet. Picking out clothes was easy enough for a start.

Though there wasn't much in there… just hoodies, a bunch of t-shirts and jeans. He couldn't afford much more than that.

Next to the hanging clothes, there was a small dresser, the paint chipped and dirty, with underclothes and anything Naruto felt like throwing in there.

He opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of boxers and an undershirt. Next, he grabbed a pair of torn black jeans from a hanger, sliding them on.

As he reached for a shirt, Naruto smiled. The one in his hand was a birthday present. It was the first time he'd received one, too. Iruka gave it to him.

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"_Hey."_

"_Good morning, Naruto! Hmm… Someone looks tired. You get enough sleep last night?"_

"…_yeah."_

"_Wanna talk about it?"_

_Naruto sighed. Iruka would think he was pathetic if he asked. _

"_So… anything special coming up?"_

_Iruka was trying to change the subject for him. Too bad it was exactly what he was trying to avoid._

"…_Not really."_

"_Actually, I think you're mistaken. Today is a _very_ special day. Do you know why?"_

"_Uh….No," Naruto said._

_There was no way Iruka knew what today was for him. It was probably just a coincidence. _

"_Well, that's a shame. I guess it must _my_ birthday then. Guess I'll just open my _present_."_

_Naruto looked up._

"_How'd you know it was-"_

"_I kind of… maybe… accidentally saw it on your records when I was writing down your new height last week._

_Naruto smiled. Leave it to Iruka to brighten his day._

"_But… since you said it's not a special day, I guess this present I bought really _is_ for me."_

_Iruka reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a bright red package. He slid it over to Naruto._

"_Open it! Open it!" he said, nearly bouncing out of his chair._

_Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He ripped open the present and a black lump fell onto his lap. It was a T-shirt. It was simple and black. The v-shaped collar drooped down low._

"_Do you like it?"_

_Naruto nodded. He could feel the stupid grin on his face. He'd never received a gift before. It was nice._

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Naruto felt the smile tug at his lips even now. Iruka was so kind.

"Maybe there are more people like him out there. Maybe my dad was right."

Naruto reached down and tied his shoes just as his alarm clock rang again, warning him he would be late if he didn't leave now. He had to run fast if he was going to make it on time.

"…today might not be so horrible."

The door shut quietly behind him as he jogged out of the room.

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Lol. I read my old A/N before redoing this. Man… it was stupid, but it made me smile. Next redone chapter coming up!

Just so all of you know… Naruto has been declared a boxer's man. No tight whiteys…. Just so ya' know. =)


	6. Surprise Me!

ARGH! …ahem… I mean hi!

Sixth redone chapter. Don't worry. Eight will be here soon. And then on to… everything else I'm supposed to be updating. Darn….

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Gasping for breath, Naruto leaned against the school gates for support. No one was around. He couldn't let _them_ see him like this. No telling what those bastards would try next.

As soon as the thought passed through his head, Naruto wished it hadn't. An image of Itachi zipped through his mind.

He felt bile rise in his throat, but he forced it back down.

"Gross!" he yelled.

Someone behind Naruto laughed.

He froze. The trickling sweat stuck to the hair on the back of his neck.

'_I'm all alone. I'm all alone. I'm all alone,'_ he thought.

Naruto turned around slowly, prepared to dodge or attack whoever was behind him.

But no one was there.

He looked to his left and right, but both sides were clear. His breathing became shallow and his stomach turned in the silence. Was he imagining things?

"Kyuu," he whispered, "did you hear that…?"

He took the constant rhythm of breathing in his head as an answer. Kyuu was still asleep.

"… I know I didn't imagine that."

Suddenly, the two minute bell sounded. Naruto hesitated before rushing through the gate. He would have to find the owner of that mysterious laugh later.

He bumped into a few stranglers as he ran down the hallway. Most of them cussed at him.

'_Why the hell is this hallway so long?'_

He glanced at the stairs to his right. They led up to the upperclassmen's classes. Freshmen were separated from the upperclassmen. The principal thought it would stop all the freshmen bullying. Most of everyone else thought it was stupid.

The only problem Naruto had with the upperclassmen was they could get away with more things… not in a good way either. The whole seniority thing got them anything they wanted. Well, almost anything… they couldn't make Naruto leave; at least, not yet that is.

'_They come up with something new every day.'_

'**Every day? Do these people have social lives?'**

Naruto sucked in his breathe to keep himself from jumping. He hadn't heard Kyuu wake up.

'_Warn somebody, Kyuu! You scared the crap out of me!'_

'**How about I roll out a red carpet? I'll even say "Introducing the Great Kyuubi". '**

Naruto smiled right as he slipped through the door and into his seat. The bell rang a heartbeat later. He'd made it!

Though_ it_ wasn't anything to be proud of… a desk in the back of the room, isolated from everyone by the empty seats. No one wanted to sit next to Naruto. They had a five foot rule. No one got within the space or they became an outcast like Naruto.

So, he sat by himself in the corner of the room, in a desk right by the window. The window part was fine with him though because personally, he liked looking outside. It took his mind off any problems he had. Especially when it rained…

The teacher's voice drifted in and out of his ears.

"…Today we have… student… please introduce… to the class…."

Naruto looked up from the window just as a boy with brown hair bowed. He introduced himself as "Neji Hyuuga." Naruto watched the boy curiously.

The boy was wearing black baggy jeans, similar to Naruto's pair but they looked newer. He also had on a loose white shirt that was half covered by a black zipper jacket. He had completely black tennis shoes on that said "DC" on the sides. Though his clothes were normal, his actual face was… breath-taking.

Long chestnut brown hair and lightly tanned skin... A piece of white cloth tied around his forehead; it disappeared into the thick hair, keeping it out of his face. The rest of his hair tumbled down onto his slender frame. And he had a royal air to him… like he was used to power. But that's not what intrigued Naruto the most.

It was the boy's eyes. They were really… strange to say the least.

Opaque eyes shone under rogue locks of hair. They seemed to catch and reflect every light, shining like uncut diamonds. So beautiful and yet, they made Naruto sad. The boy's eyes reminded him of a cage… and behind them, his soul stood trapped. Wh–

Naruto shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? Where was any of this coming from?

'_He's just another one of _them_ in the end.' _

Naruto turned back to the window, but he couldn't help thinking about that guy… Neji.

'_What if he doesn't know? We could be friends…. Until he finds out what I am.'_

Naruto sighed. Every time he met someone new, he thought the same thing: "Maybe". It always ended with Naruto getting hurt. There was no reason to tease his heart with things he couldn't have. He refused to get his hopes up this time.

'**I'm not so sure about that, Kit. Something's happening!'**

Indeed, there was something going on. Every pair of eyes was on him. What were they looking at?

After years of torment, Naruto's tongue had learned to act quicker than his brain.

"Take a picture; it last longer, guys."

That obviously got the class back to normal. Someone threw a paper wad at him and a few curses flew.

Naruto was about to look away again until he caught the new boy's eyes. They were still on him. He was… smiling.

Was he laughing _at_ Naruto or at what he said?

He tried another smart ass remark to see.

"Do I have a sign that says 'Morons stare at me?' or are you guys trying a new telepathic way of being stupid?"

Normally, that comment would have had Naruto halfway to the office by now, but even the teacher said nothing. The only sound was the new kid's laughter.

He smiled and walked over to the seat next to Naruto.

'_Is this guy for real?'_

Kyuu answered him.

'**You know something? You attract weird people. I think that's the problem. **_**You**_**.'**

'_Thanks, Kyuu. I feel so loved now.'_

'**Don't get sarcastic with me. It's not my fault you attract people who belong in padded rooms.'**

Naruto felt something waving in front of his face. He looked up to see Neji sitting across from him.

"Hi, my name is Neji Hyuuga. You don't know me yet, but I think we're going to be good friends."

"Uh…" Naruto racked his mind for an answer. This had never happened before! What was with this guy? He was supposed to move away from Naruto, not sit down and announce that they would be friends. Who even does that?

"I'm…. I'm…"

'**Say you're Naruto.'**

"You're Naruto…. I- I mean… _I'm_ Naruto. Um… Naruto Uzumaki."

He watched the boy's reaction. Everyone knew the last name "Uzumaki." It was the name of the boy who had a monster eating away at him internally.

"Oh, your mom and dad were the prom king and queen in high school, right? He proposed to her there, and they got married after college. I think that's awesome."

What the… where the hell did he even hear that? It was true, yeah, but… random.

"Uh… yeah… that's right. They did. But I thought you'd know me for a different reason."

The boy smiled again, making Naruto feel dizzy. What was going on? What was this guy's game? Why was he acting like everything was okay? Did he not know about Kyuu? Or… did he know… and not care?

Naruto felt a blush creep onto his face. If Neji really did know about Kyuu and he still wanted to be Naruto's friend…

'_It'd be like meeting Iruka-sempai all over again. That would be a miracle.'_

The teacher interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, are you sure… you want to sit _there_, Mr. Hyuuga? There are plenty of other seats available."

Many students in the classroom nodded as the teacher spoke. Naruto was sure Neji would rethink his decision now. He'd realize that Naruto was a monster and that he'd only be treated the same if he stayed by him.

Neji replied. "I think I'm just fine with the spot I've chosen. In fact, I think I've already made a good friend."

"Um…is that right? Well, now that you've found your … seat, I think we should begin today's lesson…now."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Okay, who can simplify this equation: x squared plus 8x plus 16 equals 0?"

The teacher wrote the problem on the board. The class was filled with the sound of pencils scratching against paper as everyone tried to answer the question.

"Well, how about our new student, Mr. Hyuuga? Did you get this far in your old school?"

Without picking up a pencil, Neji replied, "It's a perfect square equation. The answer is x plus 4 in parentheses all squared."

"I'm sorry, but that's the- What did you say?"

"Perhaps I should speak louder." Neji cleared his throat before speaking once again. "I said 'The answer is x plus 4 in parentheses all squared.' "

The teacher looked at his guide book to check, but Neji was right.

"I… uh… assume you made it to this lesson then..." he said, flustered.

A few people cheered. It was hard to upset the teacher. He was too calm.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A tap on the door distracted the class.

The teacher hastily walked over, unlike the times with Naruto, and allowed the two strangers in. One was young, probably a student. No one knew who the other was.

The teacher spoke first.

"Hello, Mr. …?"

"Hatake. Kakashi Hatake. I'm a new teacher at this school. I'm filling in for a… Mrs.-" he said, pulling out a piece of paper, "a Mrs. Mitarashi. It seems she is on maternity leave.

"Ah! It's about time. Anko has been due for a leave for a while. So, you will be taking her place in English literature I presume?"

"Yes."

"Then welcome to our school. I hope you find it… comfortable."

"Yes, I hope so, too." the man said.

His eyes flickered around the room for a long second, finally resting on something. He looked away as the teacher began speaking again.

"And who, may I ask, is this?" he said, gesturing to the boy standing quietly next to the new teacher. "Is he a new student?"

"Yes, he is. The principal asked me to bring him to the classroom because they had no one on hand at the moment."

"Well! That was very kind of you. Thank you for delivering us another new student. We will be glad to have him. "

"No need for the thank you. I'll just be on my way."

"…Ok."

The door closed quietly as the man left the room, leaving the attention on the newest student of the class, who introduced himself just as the door closed.

"Hello… I'm Sasuke Uchiha."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Meh… I'm tired… but don't worry. I'm starting my redone chapter seven right after this. I'm almost there!


	7. Keep It a Secret!

See? I started the next chapter right afterwards! As soon as this chapter is up, so will the eighth… well, maybe like five seconds later… oh, and this story's timeline doesn't really match the really Naruto story's timeline. You'll see… I think.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The boy stood at the front of the room now. He bowed before speaking again.

"My name is Sasuke. It's nice to meet you."

His night-black hair shone under the fluorescent lights in the classroom, causing shadows to swallow his eyes. His mouth was curled in a friendly smile, but the shadows twisted it into a smirk.

His clothes were as black as his hair. Tightly stretched over his body, they defined every muscle beneath them.

The class was mystified. The boy's voice was low and seductive, a dangerous combination when paired with his captivating aura.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto was tempted to scream.

What was going on? Did that guy say _Uchiha_?

He'd only heard that name once— from Itachi. Who was this…?

'Kyuu?' he asked quietly in his mind.

'…**Yes?' **the voice replied reluctantly.

'Kyuu, you know who this is, don't you?'

'**Kit, I meant to tell you… if it ever came up.'**

Naruto watched the classroom swirl out of view. Kyuu's bedroom replaced it. She sat on the bed, watching him hesitantly.

Naruto spoke out loud now that he was alone with Kyuu.

"What happen to no more secrets, huh?"

"**Uh… surprise?"**

Naruto glared at Kyuu. He wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"**Ok, ok. Don't be mad. I'll tell you**."

She smiled and patted the spot next to her. Naruto sat down, but she knew he was still mad… or at least in shock.

"**Itachi… is a murderer. He killed everyone back in his village about two years after you were born. The only body no one could find was Itachi's younger brother. Everyone thought he was dead. **_**I**_** thought he was dead; that is… until now."**

Naruto took deep breaths. He couldn't let this overwhelm him; otherwise, he'd never be able to fight Itachi.

"So, this Sasuke guy really is an Uchiha? He's… Itachi's brother?"

Kyuu looked up. Something about Naruto's tone scared her for a second. She responded carefully.

"**Naruto, we don't even know if he was aware of what Itachi did to you."**

"Yeah, but…" Naruto paused. This was too crazy. Why was this guy showing up _now_? Things were finally looking up. This wasn't fair!

A sudden pressure swelled in Naruto. He was angry.

Kyuu reached out to stop him, but Naruto was quicker. He dissolved into the air, leaving Kyuu's outstretched arm to grasp for nothing.

"**Don't do it, Kit! We aren't even sure about the facts!"** she yelled into the air.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Neji looked over at Naruto for the fifth time since Sasuke had arrived.

Something was wrong. As soon as the boy had said his name, Naruto completely froze. He didn't blink. He didn't move… Neji swore he wasn't even breathing.

He waved his hand in from of Naruto's eyes. The boy didn't react.

"Nothing…"

"Is there a problem, Mr. Hyuuga?"

Neji looked up. He'd spoken out loud…

"Yes… there is," he said slowly. "Naruto isn't feeling good. I'm going to take him to the nurse."

"Very well… if you insist on being…" the teacher's voice dropped as he spoke. He mumbled the last words.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

The teacher smirked and turned back to the student at the front of the room.

"Sorry for the interruption, Mr. Uchiha. Go on."

Neji ignored the new student and moved closer to Naruto. He wanted to try one more time.

"Naruto?" he asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

For a moment, Naruto continued to sit in his frozen space of time. And then he was standing, nearly knocking Neji down in his sudden liveliness.

"Hey, you all right?"

Momentarily confused by the unfamiliar face, Naruto felt his anger disperse. He could only stutter through his thoughts.

"That guy- I think… I'm pretty sure he knows Itach—"

Naruto suddenly swayed as he spoke.

What was he talking about?

Everything seemed to dance around him and he began to feel entirely too dizzy. A weak signal went off somewhere in his head, warning him of the approaching floor.

Somewhere far away, Kyuu was calling out to him. Neji called out to him, too… Why were they so far away? And why were they yelling so much? Didn't they know he was trying to sleep?

Another voice spoke. It was closer to Naruto than his own heartbeat.

He'd heard it before. It was smooth, soothing, seductive… and scary.

"I can't have you telling the world, can I? We'll have to fix that later."

Just before Naruto hit the floor, he heard the voice let out a low, quiet laugh. Naruto knew that voice… from somewhere, but he was unconscious on the ground before he could remember whoever it belonged to.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Good morning. My name is Kakashi Hatake. Mrs. Mitarashi is on maternity leave, so I'll be your teacher for the rest of the year."

A series of whoops and cheers filled the air for a moment before Kakashi called for attention from the class. "Now, as I call your name, please stand and recite you name and something you'd like me to know about you."

Instantly, someone's hand shot up. Without waiting to be called on, the young girl asked, "Why do we have to say our name if you're gonna call on us?"

"First, because it my job, I'm going to correct you on saying "gonna" instead of "going to." I personally don't care, but you know how the rules are. Second, please raise your hand and wait to be called on. And third, I want to know if I pronounce your name right… or if you prefer to go by another name."

Kakashi walked to the back of the room to a large desk. He pulled a folded paper out of his pocket.

"Before I begin, may I have the whole class's participation in what I'm about to ask?'

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Would the back row move back about another five feet, and the other rows follow?"

Desks scraped the floor as the kids moved their desks. After the noise died down, the girl from before raised her hand.

"Yes, miss…" Kakashi spoke.

"Sakura. My name is Sakura Haruno."

"Well, Miss Haruno, what is your question?"

"Why did we have to move our desks back?"

Kakashi turned to the rest of the class before asking, "Does Miss Haruno usually ask so many questions even though if she'd only wait a moment, she'd know the answer?"

A few boys snickered in the back of the room but a few others nodded their heads and answered, "Yes."

"You'll see," he chuckled.

He began to push his desk towards the front of the room, but the desk screeched like nails on a chalkboard.

Kakashi winced and put his hands under the desk. With a small grunt, he lifted it up and carried it to the front of the room, pushing the chair along with his foot.

After arranging all of his things, he sat down and faced the class.

Everyone was gaping at Kakashi.

"How did you _do_ that?

"Hmm? Do what?"

"You- you picked up the desk!" someone exclaimed.

"What'd you think it was, glued to the floor? You just put your hands under the desk and lift. Simple."

Kakashi unfolded the paper and pulled out a pencil.

"Shino Aburame…"

A boy with short brown hair stood up in the back of the room.

"Here."

"Something you want me to know, please?"

"…I prefer biology more than any other subject."

Kakashi looked up just in time to see the boy sit.

"Mr. Aburame, why are you wearing sunglasses inside?"

"They're prescription glasses."

"…hmm," he said, returning his attention to the list. "Choji Akimishi…"

"I'm here. Choji's fine with me. Something about me you should know… I don't like being held up from lunch."

"Hmm," Kakashi responded again. "Sakura Haruno…"

"Present! My name's Sakura Haruno. Something about you should know is that my goal in life is to meet the perfect guy and live happily ever after!"

"Hinata Hyuuga…"

"H-here. Um… something you should know about me is… I… I like to cook.

"Kiba Inuzuka…"

"Here. Name's Kiba. And… I'm a dog person."

"Shikamaru Nara…"

No one answered.

"Is Shikamaru not here today?"

The class turned to face the back of the room where Shikamaru's seat was… occupied.

"Yo, Shika! You awake back there?" Kiba shouted across the room.

The boy didn't move.

"SHIKA?"

The boy twitched before gradually raising his head.

"Huh?"

"God, I swear sometimes...wake up, man! The teacher's callin' your name."

Shikamaru mumbled something under his breath about clouds and troublesome people before answering.

"Here. My name's Shikamaru, but I answer to Shika. If I don't answer you right away… I'm probably not paying attention."

"Hmm," Kakashi replied again. He went on with the list until everyone had been called.

After he'd finished roll call, Kakashi walked over to the door. Swinging in open, he said, "Let's begin class, shall we?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

On to chapter eight, eh? Good luck. =)


	8. Permission to Stalk?

Wahoo! I'm done… oh, in case you don't know what I'm talking about… I'll tell you!

I went back and read the previous chapters of this story and decided they were… horrible. So, I redid them all. Yeah, I actually twea ked a few things. Don't worry. Overall, it's still the same, but you might want to go back and reread it. Lol. Chapter nine coming soon. I promise!

Story: When Is Rape Consensual?

Ch 8: Sleepovers

Warnings: profanity, yaoi, and cheddar cheese… yum.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Naruto's been under a lot of stress lately… he's probably just tired."

"…just stress? Well… are his parents going to pick him up?

"Um…" Iruka began. He never liked telling people sad things. It always made for a depressing conversation.

"What? Are they at work or something?"

"Naruto… lives alone."

"Oh. But can't they pick him up?"

"Not exact—"

"My parents are dead."

Iruka and Neji looked up at the figure in the adjacent room's doorway. His rumpled hair covered his eyes.

"What?"

Naruto licked his chapped lips and stared out the window behind Iruka.

"You asked about my parents. They're dead. My mother died giving birth to me and my father…my fath… he… never mind. They're both dead."

"Oh. I-I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm used to it. What… what happened to…?"

A laugh replayed in Naruto's head. He felt the pieces click.

Itachi had done this. He'd made Naruto pass out in class. He'd said something… about Naruto telling everybody… Was he afraid Naruto would find out something? Or was it the other way around? It didn't matter. What really bothered Naruto was how Itachi knew what he'd been saying in class. There was no way in hell that he'd just happened to be 'in the area'. He'd been _watching_ Naruto.

Someone's voice floated into Naruto's ears.

"…you okay? Do you want to lie down again? I can take you home if you like."

The blond boy looked up. Iruka was staring at him, concern clouding his eyes.

He thought about the offer for a second. He didn't mind Iruka taking him home usually, but the possibility that Itachi was still around stopped him cold.

"Yeah, I really don't feel well today. I would like to go home."

He managed a smile and walked back into the other room to find his missing shoes. Apparently, someone had taken them off when he'd fallen asleep.

"So, do you want me to take you?" Iruka called to the other room.

"NO!" he yelled, immediately regretting how it sounded. "I-I mean…. No, it's fine, sensei. I just haven't had a good sleep in a while. Besides, you're working right now. I don't want to bother you." Naruto felt the memories of a few nights ago return.

A warm hand patted his shoulder. Startled, Naruto jumped back and stared into the eyes of his hurt friend.

"You wouldn't be bothering me. It's fine, Naruto. You should know that!"

Naruto moved back into the main room where Neji sat, watching the two of them curiously.

"It-It's okay, Iruka-sensei. I can take care of myself,"

"Hmm…" Iruka mumbled before following Naruto back into the room, "If you say so, Naruto." He scribbled down a pass for Naruto to leave before saying, "But be careful and don't stress yourself out so much. It wasn't your fault, you know."

"Huh?"

Naruto looked over at Iruka. What was he talking about?

Iruka didn't say anything. He just smiled sadly at Naruto and handed him the pass. Naruto glanced at Iruka, but didn't ask what the man had meant. He knew Iruka wouldn't tell him.

Quietly, he exited the room and headed back to the classroom for his bag. Neji and Iruka sat alone in the room, watching him leave.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Iruka glanced over at the boy for the first time since Naruto had woken up. He'd never seen him before, but the boy had suddenly appeared in Iruka's doorway carrying an unconscious Naruto in his arms, out of breath and frustrated. It had made Iruka's hearts skip a few beats. No one had ever been so nice to Naruto. Maybe he'd finally made a friend. Iruka couldn't wait to talk to him.

"So… how do you know Naruto?" Iruka asked, flashing his friendliest smile.

"Oh…" the boy had said, almost as if just remembering he wasn't alone. "Right! My name is Neji Hyuuga. I'm a new student. I saw Naruto sitting by himself in class, so I decided to sit by him."

"Really. So what do you think of him?"

"Naruto? I haven't known him long, but he's really nice so far."

"That's good… you thinking he's nice and all… um… I know this is kind of unexpected but… could you… _follow_ Naruto for me?"

"Okay."

"I know it's a lot to ask since you're new and have a lot of catching up to do and all but—what? You'll do it?"

"Sure. I don't really know him yet, but Naruto seems like a nice guy. I'm worried about him, too. And, it sounds fun."

"Okay…" he said, taken back by the boy's willingness to follow a stranger for him. "Well, let me write you a pass, too… but don't let him know you're following him. He hates being treated like a kid."

"Sure, but… uh, what exactly do I _do_ with the pass?"

"Oh! You just show it to your teacher and drop it off at the main office when you're leaving. Do you know where that is?"

"That place where you first walk in, right?"

"That's the one."

Neji took the pass and headed the same way Naruto had gone a few minutes earlier. Iruka sighed and laid his head on the wooden desk.

"It really wasn't his fault," he mumbled into his arm before slipping into a light sleep.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Let's begin class, shall we?" Kakashi asked.

"Sensei, this is an English class. Why are we going outside?"

"You'll see. Grab a notebook and pencil, and come on! I can't start the class until you get out."

The class stood up and filed out the door; Kakashi led them out the back doors of the school.

"Where are we going?"

"You guys were still on poetry when Mrs. Mitarashi left, right?"

"Um… yeah."

"Well, we're going to be creating poetry today."

"Why are we outside then?"

Kakashi smiled and kept walking. He'd gotten the idea when the principal had told him what the class was currently studying. She thought it was a good idea, too.

When the students reached a creek, Kakashi stopped them.

"Get out your pencils. We're about to create some poetry."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto stared at his apartment building. He felt like passing right by it and going somewhere else… but there was nowhere to go. So, he walked inside the building and headed up to his room, holding his breath at every turn. By the time he got to his door, he was paranoid that someone was following him, no matter how many times he looked at the empty hall behind him.

Naruto jammed the key into his door and slammed the door behind him. Sweat began to drip down his neck. What if Itachi was there? Was he doing this just to mess with Naruto?

'**Kit! Someone's at the door!'**

Naruto's eyes widened and he spun around to peek out of the keyhole, expecting to see blazing red eyes, but instead, he saw a brown-haired boy kneeling to tie his shoe.

Naruto sighed.

'God, Kyuu! You scared me! I thought it was _him_.'

'**You scared me first with all your paranoia crap! Who is it anyway?'**

'That guy from school… Neji. How did he get here?'

Naruto opened the door just as Neji was attempting to knock.

"How did you find me?" he asked, his hand feeling for a metal bat leaning against the wall beside him.

Neji stared at Naruto. "I was just about to knock. How are you feeling?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"I… followed you."

"How did you get out of scho…? Iruka! I should have known he'd make you do that."

"He didn't make me. I agreed. I was worried about you."

"Worried? You don't even know me."

"But I will soon. That's what friends do. They get to know each other."

"Friends?"

"Yeah!"

Naruto felt a lopsided grin creep onto his face despite the weirdness of being followed home by a stranger. He liked the sound of being someone's friend… someone his own age. But he squashed the smile immediately. He didn't think Neji would be calling him 'friend' when he found out about Kyuu.

Naruto opened the door for Neji and disappeared into his kitchen. Neji followed.

"What was really wrong with you in class, Naruto?"

The blond reached for two small packs of instant hot chocolate from his cupboard. It was one of the few things he actually had in his kitchen.

"What are you talking about?"

"In class, you were really distant, and when you started to say something, you just… passed out. What were you going to say?"

The laughter echoed in Naruto's head again. He decided to lie.

"I-I don't remember. Do you want some?"

He gestured to the warm milk he was heating on his stove.

"Sure."

Naruto poured the scalding milk into glasses and stirred the hot chocolate mix into both; he handed one to Neji. Both boys sipped at their cups in silence for a few minutes.

Naruto felt a hand trailing down his inner thigh and gasped. But when he looked down, all he saw was the faded black cloth of his jeans… no hand attached.

"Something wrong?"

Naruto snapped back from his thoughts when Neji spoke.

"Uh… can you excuse me? I need to take a shower."

"Um… sure. Mind if I watch TV?"

Naruto glanced at his living room. The old television set just sat there, but at least it worked.

"Sure."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto danced around his bathroom trying to stay warm while the water heated up. He could hear the TV from the other room. Neji was watching some kind of action movie.

Steam embraced Naruto's skin and he quickly jumped into the tub. The warm water seemed to wash away his troubles with every drop of liquid. His head lolled lazily against the wall, letting the warmth surround him and weave his troubles away like a dream catcher.

A knock sounded at the door, pulling Naruto out of his own little world.

"Yes?"

"Naruto… do you want to come over to my house today?" Neji asked through the door.

"What?"

"I asked if you want to come over to my house… you know, for dinner."

Naruto stopped the faucet and pushed back the curtain. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. "Sorry, but I couldn't hear you. You can come in now."

Neji opened the door. He averted his eyes at the sight of Naruto's half naked form.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know you weren't dressed. I'll wait."

"It's fine. What were you saying?"

"I asked if you wanted to come over for dinner… at my house."

Naruto gave Neji a surprised look.

"Why all of the sudden?"

"I don't know. I just don't like the idea of people being alone, especially at night. You never know who's lurking around, you know?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. A blur of sharp nails and red eyes passed through his mind.

"Y-yeah… all _kinds _of creeps."

There was a chance that Itachi would come today considering he'd been watching Naruto earlier. But if Naruto was with somebody, Itachi wouldn't mess with him because he'd be found out. And judging by today, he didn't want that.

"If you don't mind, I'd like that."

Neji smiled. "I'll call and get someone to pick us up. My house is a pretty far from here."

"Okay."

Neji turned to close the door but paused as something caught his eye. He gasped before he could stop himself.

"What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

Neji gestured to his own neck under his shirt.

Naruto rubbed away the steam on the mirror and saw the healing wound from a few nights ago. He gasped and covered the cut.

"I-I was… being careless… and I slipped in my bedroom a few days ago… yeah. I've got this sharp corner on my dresser. Don't worry. It's fine!"

Neji stared at Naruto as if he knew Naruto was lying but said nothing. He'd been meddlesome enough for the day. He'd find out later.

The brunette nodded slowly before turning to close the door again. Naruto felt his towel slip just as the door finally closed. He didn't bother reaching for it. Instead, he stared at the traces of violently purple bruises on his legs.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Wow! You have a limo? That is so cool! I've never been in a limo."

Neji laughed and opened the door for Naruto to get in. He handed two bags to the driver to put in the trunk before gracefully sliding into the car after the blond and closing the door.

He watched as Naruto sat in awe. Neji reached for a wine bottle sitting in ice. He effortless unscrewed the cork and asked, "Want a drink?"

Naruto took a glass from Neji but only stared at it. He'd never had wine before. Would it make him pass out? Or drunk? Naruto lifted the glass to his lips and bittersweet nectar tickled his tongue.

He felt a smile on the brink of showing for the second time that day. He was sitting in a limo! A freakin' limo!

Neji smiled and sipped at his own glass. Naruto's reaction reminded him of a little kid in an amusement park. This must have been Naruto's first time trying wine, too, by the looks of it.

When the car slowed to stop, a man in a formal black and white suit opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Master Hyuuga. How was your first day at school?"

"Wonderful," Neji said as he stepped out the car. "This," he said, pointing towards Naruto, "is Naruto Uzumaki. He's the one joining me for dinner."

"Shall I prepare a room for our guest, sir?"

"Yes, go ahead."

Naruto almost didn't catch the conversation. "What? Me? I can't stay! I've got homework. I have to go home after this."

"Don't worry. The driver put your back in the car for me already. You can do your homework here."

A familiar voice whispered something to Naruto.

'What, Kyuu?'

'**I like this guy.'**

Naruto heard Kyuu yawn before drifting back to sleep. She must have been listening for awhile.

"Yeah, I think I do, too."

"What?"

Naruto looked up. He'd spoken out loud. "Uh… nothing… I was just talking to myself."

Neji smiled. "Come on. You're going to love what we're having for dinner."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto stared up at guest room he was supposed to be staying in. A beautiful carpet covered the floor and exotic furniture filled the room. If Naruto hadn't known any better, he'd say he was back in Kyuu's room. But this was Neji's house… mansion… palace. Whatever rich people called them these days.

The dining room had been enormous, too! There were butlers and maids everywhere. And they'd sat at one of those really long, red mahogany tables that he'd only seen in movies. A chandelier sparkled above them, reflecting on the dinner plates and silverware.

After dinner, Neji had introduced Naruto to his tutor. The man had helped Naruto with all his homework and even taught him some easier ways to do his math!

Naruto never knew someone could live this good. And Neji's parents were wonderful. They didn't mind at all that Naruto was here. They even wanted him to live here when they found out Naruto lived alone. They'd just met him, and already they were so kind to him.

Naruto wished his parents were here. He was sure they would like the Hyuugas. They'd probably be best fr—

Suddenly, Naruto's body shot forward as something rammed into his head.

"What the hell?"

He spun around to find a grinning Neji standing behind him, both hands behind his back.

"What are you doing?"

Neji pulled the pillow from behind and his grin widened. "What does it look like? I'm starting a pillow fight!

Naruto ducked before Neji could hit him with the pillow again. He rolled over to the king size bed and grabbed one of the fluffy pillows. Naruto had never had a pillow fight, but he knew what they were.

"Can you beat me?" Neji asked.

"Come on and find out," Naruto challenged.

He launched forward and hit Neji on the leg, causing the shocked boy to drop to the ground. Neji rolled into the fall and tried to hit Naruto again. Both boys laughed and ducked flying pillows until they couldn't breathe and collapsed to the floor.

"Just… for the record…" Neji gasped between each ragged breath, "I… totally kicked your butt!"

"In… your dreams!" Naruto wheezed back.

Neither boy had the energy to stand and quickly drifted to sleep.

A butler found them still sleeping at around eleven p.m. He carried them to the bed and pulled the cover up to their chins.

"I've never seen the young master laugh so hard. Maybe the move was better for him after all. Master Hyuuga was right. That place had too many bad memories anyway."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Why… oh, why did I wait this long to update? I know. I'm sorry, but I was attacked by a murderous group of jelly beans who whisked me away to their island of Cavities. I fought for weeks and finally broke free a few days ago and have been writing this story ever since!

Shuichu: Are they buying it?

Shuichi: I don't know.

Shuichu: I think they are!

Random person: Who the hell would believe that? Honestly!

Shuichi: I have a feeling that they might be on to us, Shuu!

Shuichu: Nah, I think it's just gas.

Until next time! And that will be soon; I promise!


	9. Closer

My god, this took forever! I've been trying to fit it in through my summer work. I finally just took off all Saturday and typed. So, here it is: my Saturday concoction.

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"Run anywhere you want, little kitten. You'll never escape me. You'll only hurt the people around you."

The words ricocheted through Naruto's mind as he slept. Somewhere deep in his subconscious thoughts, an alarm went off in his head. Kyuu awoke, but oddly, she couldn't remember why she had felt the need to.

'**Kit.'**

Naruto didn't answer. He was still fast asleep.

Kyuubi sighed, but an idea quickly came to her mind.

'**Well… since you're tired… and I'm not… maybe I should take over for now? What's that you say?'** Kyuu asked, listening to Naruto's content snoring, **'You think it's a good idea, too? Okay!'**

After a moment, Naruto's left arm lurched into the air. His right arm followed suit. Next, his legs tumbled to the ground.

'**This is harder than it looks…'**

Kyuu stumbled to her feet and looked around, getting used to the view. She slowly stepped forward, throwing her arms out for balance. When she didn't immediately fall down, Kyuu took another step.

By the time she'd made it to the door, sweat was dripping down her neck. She rested against the wooden door and listened for any movement behind it. Suddenly, her head swung forward into the door.

She swore loudly.

"What the hell, Naruto?"

She could feel the boy fighting her as he became more awake.

'_Don't you 'what the hell' me, Kyuu! What are _you_ doing?'_ he screamed into her mind. Kyuu winced.

"Oh, come on! I haven't been out it ages. It's not like I was gonna do something indecent!"

Kyuu's right hand jerked forward and caught her in the face. A string of profanities followed the slap. Kyuu chuckled. Naruto hadn't known she couldn't feel the pain. He was only slapping himself regardless of whether he had control of his body or not.

"You should be nice to people that have total control of you, Kit. Or they might take advantage of it."

Naruto screamed louder, but Kyuu wasn't paying attention anymore. The smell of cinnamon had caught her attention. It was coming from the main hall. She followed it downstairs into the kitchen.

The kid Naruto had met yesterday was there. He was whisking something in a large bowl. Kyuu watched as he poured the yellow liquid into a big frying pan, grabbing a spatula from the counter.

"You don't have to stand there. Come on in, Naruto," Neji yelled over the sizzling eggs. He turned around to call Naruto over. "Breakfast is almost—"

When the boy dropped the spatula, Kyuu's eyes narrowed. There was no way this… _kid_ could tell he wasn't Naruto. Nothing on the outside of the body ever changed when she took over someone.

"What's wrong, Neji?"

"…your neck."

Kyuu's hand flew up to her neck. The crusted blood crumbled under her touch.

The wound was fresh.

"Shit…" she whispered. There was no way Naruto had done that when he'd slapped her.

Kyuu watched as Neji ran from the room, returning moments later with a first aid kit. He popped open the case and pulled out an alcohol swab, gauze pads, and some kind of tape. Neji pushed Kyuu into a seat.

"Take off your shirt."

Kyuu looked at the cut from the corner of her eye. It went under the collar.

"I-I can do this myself, Neji."

The brunette didn't seem to hear or care about what Kyuu said. He reached for the hem of Naruto's black shirt and lifted it over Kyuu's head before she could react.

Kyuu felt the cool tips of his fingers glide over her neck as he examined the cut. Neji even traced the healing wound he'd noticed back at Naruto's house, his left hand reaching for the alcohol swabs behind him.

At some point, the butler had managed to step into the kitchen without Kyuu noticing. He stirred the food on the stove and continued to prepare the rest of the meal.

"All right, it's done," Neji announced, patting Kyuu's shoulder lightly, "Now, it's time for breakfast."

'_**Okay, Kit. I've had my fun. You can come out now.'**_

'…'

'_**Kit, are you mad at me? I'm sorry. I was just having a little fun.'**_

'…_You know I didn't cause that cut.'_

'…_**Yeah, I know.'**_

'_He's watching us, Kyuu.'_

'_**Not now. I don't feel his presence.'**_

'_We're putting these people in danger. We should leave.'_

'_**If we do, he'll attack you, Kit.'**_

'_I—' _

'_**Don't worry about it for now. I'll figure it out. Just eat your breakfast, okay**_**?'**

Naruto's body stiffened as his consciousness filled the cerulean eyes. He felt the butler and Neji watching him. How long had he been spaced out? They probably thought he was insane by now.

"Naruto?"

"… yeah?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I guess I zoned out for a second. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Come on. Let's eat."

Naruto followed him to the adjacent room where the butler had prepared two spaces for them. The table was a lot smaller than the one yesterday. It was nice to sit closer to someone anyway. Or at least, the idea of it was.

Both boys ate silently across from each other. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. They knew what the topic would be.

Neji decided to go first.

"Naruto… I know we just met, and this is _very_ forward of me to ask, but… I noticed you have a lot of scars. How did you get them?"

Naruto stuffed a pile of scrambled eggs and French toast into his mouth. He couldn't tell Neji. Whether or not Itachi was watching him now, he couldn't say it.

"I know you don't want to answer the question. You don't have to. It's just… most of them look like they weren't treated properly…"

Neji was looking at him, his opaque eyes glazed with worry. Naruto stared down at his plate, sighing heavily. There was no way around this if they were going to be friends. But would Neji even _want_ to be friends if he knew? Naruto decided to risk it.

"…most of them weren't."

"Wh- why would you let them go untreated? Those were serious wounds."

"It's expensive to go to the hospital every time it happens."

"It? What's _it_?"

Naruto didn't answer at first. He stood up and took his empty plate to the kitchen. Neji didn't follow him.

"The attacks… that's what _it_ is."

Neji watched him silently. Naruto was leaning across the counter now, staring at him, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Waiting for Neji to reject him.

"Three… sometimes four days a week, a man breaks into my apartment. He causes those wounds. The ones on my chest that you saw… aren't as bad as the ones on my legs."

Neji opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form any words. He could only listen to Naruto as he spoke.

"He thinks it's funny when I struggle… because no matter how hard I try, I can't fight him off."

"H…How long?" Neji croaked.

"Years…" Naruto whispered, letting out a low, hysterical chuckle. So many times I've lost count." He felt the first of hot tears roll down his pale cheek.

He heard the chair scrape against the floor and the clatter as Neji put his plate in the sink.

"…Does Iruka know?" Neji asked hesitantly.

Naruto wiped away the tears and turned around, suddenly frantic.

"Hell no!" he exclaimed. "And… y-you better not tell him! It's bad enough that I told you. I— don't… _please_ don't tell him. He's the first friend I ever made. I don't want to lose that."

Neji rushed to his side, his hand reaching out for Naruto's good shoulder.

"Naruto… I won't tell him, but you know Iruka's not like that. He'd only be worried about you. No one in their right mind would stop being friends with you because of that. If anything, they'd be closer friends."

Naruto couldn't stop the tears anymore. They fell silently, blurring his sight.

"Don't you get it? You're new, but you're not stupid. You were in class yesterday. Didn't you see it? Those looks? Everyone _hates_ me. They'd only laugh at me more if they found out that I'm so weak!"

"Don't _you_ get it, Naruto? You aren't weak. Those idiots in class are ignorant pieces of shit! What they say means nothing! Nothing, Naruto, and I mean _nothing_, justifies what that bastard did to you."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Well, that's not what everyone seems to think." He felt the pent up anger growing within him, fusing with the new irritation he felt towards himself for saying anything about the damn cuts in the first place. Now, he would surely lose his new friend. "I know how loud I scream. Anyone on my floor could hear me, but _no one_ comes to help. They just move to a different apartment. They don't care! No one cares about a monster. No one but stupid people."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Neji replied, "Then I must be a pretty stupid person, huh?"

Naruto felt the words sink in and began shaking his head slowly.

"You just don't get it…"

"Then explain it to me, Naruto."

"You want me to explain it to you? Fine," Naruto snapped. "If you get close to me, you. will. die. Neji. He will _kill_ you. So please just leave it—"

"You know, back where I used to live… back in my hometown, I had a really close friend. Her name was TenTen. We knew each other from when we were little."

Naruto almost asked what the hell this had to with their argument, but something about Neji's tone told him to shut up. He watched the brunette nervously lean against the counter and continue.

"She… the reason I moved here… is because she's dead. Her… father killed her."

Naruto heard Kyuu gasp quietly.

"He was a drunk. I knew that, but… she never told me that he beat her. I was stupid not to realize it. I blamed myself for it, always wondering if I had picked up on it sooner… would she still be alive? She was in so much pain, but she never told me. She never showed it. 'Why?' I asked myself. Why couldn't she tell me? I would have helped her. She was like family to me. Why didn't she—"

Neji's words broke off, his eyes watering. Naruto didn't even realize he was crying anymore.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I said all of that… I'm so—"

Neji's shaking hand patted him softly on the head. He pulled Naruto into a tight hug, still patting the boy's head.

"Come live with me," the boy said.

Though he couldn't muster any true anger anymore, Naruto pushed away from Neji immediately.

"D-didn't you hear what I said? He'll _kill_ you."

"Let him try."

Naruto backed further away from the boy. He trembled with every step, unsure of what he could say to get through Neji's thick head.

"He will kill you. Don't you understand? You aren't strong enough. No one is. He'll kill you... he'll _kill_ you…"

Neji stepped forward. He reached out to Naruto and grabbed his arm.

"Let him try."

Naruto couldn't take it. He screamed, "Stop acting tough, Neji! This isn't a game! He can kill you. No, he _will_ kill you. You'll die."

Tears spilled from his cheeks again. He felt someone's voice whisper against his ear and realized Neji was holding him again, rubbing his back softly.

This time, Naruto didn't resist. He cried hard into Neji's shoulder, his body shaking with sobs and pain he didn't know he could still feel. And Neji held him tightly, letting a few of his own tears fall.

"Let him try, Naruto. Let him try."

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The drunken bar roared along with the karaoke song playing "Sweet Home Alabama," distracting any wandering eyes from the two men sitting at the bar.

"Hey, don't you think you're being too lenient with your toy?"

"Nah, it'll be more fun if he becomes friends with that little brat. I can't wait to see how he reacts when I kill his new little friend."

"…you are truly evil, Itachi."

The two men chuckled quietly, careful not to attract unwanted attention from the drunken fools around them.

"Don't flatter me. It'll go straight to my head, Kisame."

Itachi nodded towards the bartender to refill their drinks. When she'd gone to talk to another customer, he whispered something to Kisame.

Both men laughed even harder before Kisame spoke.

"Deal. Brunettes are my type anyway."

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…So? What'd ya' think? Good or bad? You tell me! Review~

Shuichi


	10. Domino Effect

Wind whipped around us as we raced down the street. Neji switched lanes like an expert racer on his Kawasaki. I just sat there with a gaping mouth and wide eyes as the world flashed past us.

Not gonna lie.

It felt pretty freaking great when we pulled up to the school. Neji drove the motorcycle through the school gates and into the student parking lot.

You should have seen _their_ faces. No one had expected this when I returned. Hell, I didn't expect it.

It was like the world had stopped two days ago when I'd gone to Neji's house, and now, I was living a dream. I'd finally told somebody about Itachi…it felt like I was on a morphine trip. My chest felt light, I felt giddy, and my face hurt… from laughing!

We actually went and got all my stuff out of the apartment.

Well… I burned most of it. But I got my necklace and the shirt Iruka gave me. It didn't matter anyway. Neji had bought me a whole new wardrobe as a surprise.

I swung my leg off the motorcycle and tightened my backpack. I pinched my cheek after pulling off my helmet.

Nope… not a dream.

Neji and I walked past all the gawking faces and snickering assholes. He nudged me and we headed towards the office where he turned in a doctor's note explaining our two day absence due to "flu like symptoms and high temperatures." Afterwards, we headed to the infirmary.

Neji convinced me to tell Iruka everything. He felt sure that Iruka cared about me for than anyone else in the world. He… gave me the confidence to say something I couldn't for three years to Iruka.

As we approached the wooden door, we heard Iruka and someone else inside the room already talking.

"Kakashi-sensei, I consider this an unprofessional proposition. You and I are coworkers… and I… barely know you. Please return to your classroom!"

Neji and I paused.

Proposition? Kakashi? What was going on with the new sub?

"I'm just asking you out on a date, Iruka. Come with me once! You're welcome to never speak to me again if you don't like it."

"During school hours? You and I both have work here!"

"Fine, after school, what are your plans?"

There was silence behind the door after that. Sounded like Iruka had finally been tricked into going. There was a deep sigh before he responded.

"…okay. After school. Pick me up at my place around 7… all right?"

There was a triumphant sound from Kakashi right before Neji pushed open the door. We found Iruka in Kakashi's arms, their lips mere centimeters from each other.

Neji coughed quietly, and we watched as the panicked Iruka squirmed away from the silver haired smooth talker.

"Uhghh…" Kakashi sighed. "Just when I finally had him to myself."

Kakashi pulled Iruka close and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

'**Well, at least he's got taste**,' Kyuu chuckled sleepily.

'_I think you're missing the point, Kyuu._'

Neji and I entered the room and sat down with the still flustered Iruka.

"Sensei..." I began. "This is going to take a while to explain, but… I hope you can still accept me and be my friend afterwards."

Iruka's blush faded, and he sat up straight in his chair to listen as I told him everything that's been going on.

* * *

A dark figure stood pressed against the door to the infirmary. His silver hair glistened even in the dark lighting, but the rest of him was concealed in darkness.

He listened to the blond-haired kid's confession.

Naruto Uzumaki.

His mission revolved around this little kid.

And it just got way more complicated.

"So... Itachi's alive. And he knows Naruto…to say the least."

He heard a rustle behind him. Immediately, the dark figure attacked, drop kicking the enemy to the floor.

"What the hell, Kakashi?" the angry figure on the floor whispered angrily.

"Shit… sorry, Sasuke. You snuck up on me."

Sasuke took the outstretched hand and got up from the floor, gingerly rubbing his backside.

"Sasuke… I've got some bad news about the mission. We need to regroup. Go back to class for now. We can't look suspicious. I'll let Tsunade know."

"Whoa, wait, Hatake. What… What's going on?" Sasuke pressed, reaching for the door to the infirmary.

Kakashi grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the hall.

"Sasuke… Itachi's still alive."

The black haired kid looked like he'd been slapped.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kakashi? I watched him fall off the waterfall. He's been dead for years."

"…No, I'm afraid not," Kakashi whispered. "He's been here the whole time. The reports were right. He's here in Konoha. And…"

"And what?"

"I think… he raped our target. I heard Naruto confess just moments ago…"

Sasuke's face twisted and Kakashi helped him to the bathroom to puke.

"Shit," he repeated again, pulling out his cellphone. "I'm gonna miss my date with Iruka at this rate."

* * *

The whole day was a breeze for Naruto. He felt happier than ever before.

Iruka had broken down crying while Naruto was talking, but he hugged him afterwards. Iruka pulled Naruto into the tightest hug he'd ever felt before. He'd thanked Naruto for finally trusting him and telling him what's been plaguing his mind all these years and even bowed to Neji for getting Naruto to open up.

And then, they had left for first period English together, promising to continue at a later time. Naruto almost skipped down the hallway in delight. It felt amazing to be able to talk to people about his problems.

And on top of that, Neji was in most of his classes, and they sat together and talked like normal high school kids! Even the classes without Neji went smoothly. No one cursed at him or threw anything. Maybe they were all just as shocked as Naruto was about everything.

There was only one thing bothering him…

The new kid.

Well… the _newer_ new kid.

Sasuke Uchiha.

In every single class he had with the guy, Naruto felt holes drilled into his head from how hard Uchiha was staring at him. Considering Naruto's track record with members of the Uchiha family… he felt unnerved by the attention from Sasuke.

Neji was also on edge about the new kid. Naruto was pretty sure he saw Neji slyly flip him off in third period when Sasuke wouldn't stop staring at him.

When the lunch bell rang, Neji and Naruto stood up to leave together.

"Mr. Hyuuga, I need to speak with you for a moment. Can you come here?"

Neji paused at the door.

"Sure, Hatake-sensei," Neji replied. "Naruto, can you wait for me outside?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Actually, I'm gonna go take a leak. Be back in a minute."

Neji nodded as Naruto shut the door to the classroom and headed to the men's restroom.

"You're the one who found Ten-Ten's body, correct?"

Neji froze. He fell back onto a desk, startled by the substitute teacher's question.

"How do you know about that?" he asked quietly.

"I know everything about you. Your name is Neji Hyuuga— a child prodigy sure to take over the Hyuuga family business when the time comes. You're 17. Blood type AB. Cousin of Hinata Hyuuga, the weaker sister of the branch family. You moved here after your old home led you to have psychotic break from reality after Ten-Ten's death, yes?"

Neji's grip on the desk became firm, and he swung it easily at the silver-haired man before him.

"And… you're a rogue agent," Kakashi continued, catching the desk in one hand.

"It's none of your business," Neji replied, heading for the door.

"Hyuuga, we know about Itachi. You can't handle this on your own. That boy needs the group's protection."

"Just stay the hell away from him," Neji yelled behind him, the air in the room becoming stiff as his anger grew.

The door slammed behind the angered brunette though he never touched it. Kakashi shook his head and pulled out his cellphone. He was definitely going to miss his date with Iruka now.

* * *

'_**Naruto, I apologize in advance**_**.**'

Naruto finished washing his hands and threw away the paper towel.

'_For wh_-' he began, until he was cut off by the suddenly spinning room. He felt his body sinking, barely catching the sink in time to stop himself from falling.

'_What's happening, Kyuu?' he thought furiously. 'Is it... Itachi?_'

"**No, Kit. It's me.**"

Her rough voice echoed all around him, surrounding him, as if coming from somewhere outside.

Naruto opened his eyes and gasped, nearly falling to the floor. In the mirror, red eyes and jet black hair flared. Naruto felt far away from his body.

He tried to stand up, but he couldn't.

'_Kyuu, what the hell just happened? Why can I see you in the mirror? And why can't I stand up?_' he screamed.

"_**You can't move because I'm controlling your body. I'll explain later. Just… shhh.**_"

Wherever Naruto was… he couldn't do anything but sit and watch. He was about to yell at Kyuu again until he heard footsteps behind him from the entrance.

"So… you're Naruto, huh?"

Naruto tried to whirl around to see who it was, but his legs wouldn't respond. He watched himself slowly turn as Kyuu commanded his body.

"Yeah. And you're the creep who's been eyeing me all day long. Got a thing for blonds, Uchiha?" Kyuu retorted heatedly.

Naruto nearly choked after hearing Kyuu's response. She sounded just like Naruto… Sasuke surely couldn't tell that he was talking to Kyuubi.

Well… no wonder. She was using his body and all… whatever… he'd get her to explain how she did this later.

"You're a real piece of work, Uzumaki, keeping my brother all to yourself for so long. He's a wanted criminal, but you've been covering for him all this time…" Sasuke said, disgusted with Kyuu's attitude.

The dark haired boy stepped closer, sounding numerous alarms in Naruto's head as he tried to process the situation.

"Keeping him? Am I your brother's keeper, Sasuke?" Kyuu asked, taking a step towards Sasuke. "Is that what it looks like to you? You naïve piece of shit. Move out of the way. I'm fucking hungry."

Naruto watched helplessly as Sasuke's arm extended and pushed Kyuu backwards. He heard his body fall and felt the pain vicariously.

'_**Sorry about that, Kit. I didn't expect him to try anything**_**,**' Kyuu thought, gingerly touching his… her… whoever's scalp it was at that point.

She stood up slowly.

"Or maybe…" Sasuke began again, "you just like my brother's dic-"

Kyuu's hands were around Sasuke's throat before he finished his sentence.

"It's not my fault you've got a pedophile for a brother. What are you so angry for anyways?" she replied, slamming his head into the wall behind them. "What? You jealous? Big brother didn't play with you enough so you have to act like a possessive girlfriend and attack me? Don't kid yourself."

Sasuke's black eyes changed in the stillness of the room. Red flaming orbs bore into Kyuu's blue ones.

"Sharingan? That the best you got? Aren't you such a big kid, huh?" She responded, laughing dryly.

Without warning, she let go of Sasuke's neck and grabbed his shoulder before launching him across the room. Sasuke slammed into the opposite wall and slithered down to the floor.

Naruto watched as Kyuu walked over to him and kicked him in the stomach. He looked down at the boy with blazing red eyes and felt Kyuu's anger deep in his heart. For a moment, Naruto saw Itachi on the ground with his foot on top of him triumphantly.

'_Kyuu…that's enough. It's not him. Sasuke doesn't even sound like he likes his brother. Just leave him alone…_'

Naruto heard a small growl of irritation.

'_**Fine...**_' she grumbled to him.

From the floor, Sasuke watched as Naruto's eyes flashed from cerulean blue to a red deeper and more demonic than his.

Naruto stooped over him, raising him up by his shirt collar.

"Bitch, please," he growled. "I've got a demon."

Sasuke fell back to the floor in a heap as Naruto stood up again, and his eyes changed back to blue.

His complexion seemed more innocent suddenly, and his blue eyes were mixed with pity, disgust, and rage. He smiled halfheartedly and turned to leave.

Sasuke lay on the floor as the door closed behind him.

He heard Neji outside greeting Naruto and asking if he was okay. They laughed about something and went down to the cafeteria for the last ten minutes of lunch. A few more minutes passed by until the door opened again. Someone sighed deeply.

"God, Sasuke… you'll never learn to control that temper of yours like this."

Sasuke glared at Kakashi from the floor. He reached up feebly with one hand, and the silver haired man helped him to his feet.

"He knows…everything," Sasuke said, rubbing his shoulder and neck. "And the demon is awake."

"Shit…" Kakashi responded, shaking his head.

Sasuke and he shared a look before Kakashi pulled out his phone for the third time that day.

* * *

Don't kill me. I'm working on chapter 11 right now. I apologize for the hiatus, but I had an accident and stopped writing. I'm back and I promise to update as fast as possible :) again, don't kill me. You'll never know what happens then.

*insert evil laugh*

Shuichu: Shui… you're scaring the readers

Shuichi: *evil laugh* let them be afraid!

Shuichu: *throws shoe at Shuichi*


End file.
